ebay app update

eBay is a service with a huge amount of different options and things to do - search, buy, sell, add to watch list, message a seller, etc - so the new 5.6.0.14 update, adding app shortcuts, is very useful indeed.

The eBay app has improved greatly over the last few years, going from a jumbled, kind-of-holo mess to the much a better, usable app it is now. Today, eBay is announcing a new update that makes it easier to find what you are looking for by introducing new, improved categories.

Categories are basically what they say on the tin: a lot of items separated into 32 categories that then go down into second-level categories - for example, in 'Video Games & Consoles,' there are categories such as 'Manuals, Inserts & Box Art,' 'Strategy Guides & Cheats,' and 'Coin-Operated Gaming.' Inside the categories are products you would expect to find in them - I looked for some motorsport items, and pretty quickly found what I was looking for.

eBay's Android app has left a little to be desired, especially considering that their mobile web app is pretty serviceable in and of itself. Today's update brings a slightly refreshed user interface, a few bells and whistles in the alert system, and a desperately needed revamp of the checkout process. Phones and tablets running Android 2.1 or later can download the app, but don't expect the UI to scale.

The Reminders function is probably the most useful to hard-core eBay users, or at least, those hardcore users who don't already have email alerts set up. The new version allows you to set custom ringtones for buying and selling, as well as new matches for your saved search results.

When eBay updated its Android app to v2.0 about two weeks ago, many users were experiencing serious issues with the new version. eBay quickly pulled the update, and went back to the drawing board. Now the new version has returned. And yes, they kept the absolutely terrible asphalt background in the eBay Motors section.

Here's the changelog, which contains all of the improvements of the original 2.0 update:

Find cars, trucks, motorcycles as well as compatible parts and accessories with the mobile-optimized eBay Motors experience (US only, more countries coming soon)

Improved My eBay list access

Simplified navigation throughout the app

View bidding history on an item

Add up to 12 photos when listing an item with the app

Users in Italy and Spain can now list items with the app

Payment support for Malaysia and Singapore

The app seems to be working fine now, as well, so go ahead and update away.

By now, you have probably noticed that we experienced an issue with the latest version of our Android app. As a result, we have temporarily replaced the latest version with the previous one. We value our customers and regret any inconvenience. Delivering the very best shopping experiences to our customers is our goal – anywhere, anytime and on any device.

Thank you,

eBay Mobile Team

Update: The app has been rolled back to version 1.8, presumably because of bugs, and in order to implement eBay's new logo.

I've been using the official eBay for Android app for some time now, and I have to say, it's never been a pretty thing.